Articles: coronavirus.
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Mar 2021
Meta AnalysisNucleic acid amplification tests on respiratory samples for the diagnosis of coronavirus infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Management and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) relies on reliable diagnostic testing. ⋯ Pooling all studies to date shows that on average 10% of patients with coronavirus infections might be missed with PCR tests. Variables affecting sensitivity and specificity can be used for test selection and development.
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Mar 2021
Observational StudyPrevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in a large prospective cohort study of elite football players in Germany (May-June 2020): implications for a testing protocol in asymptomatic individuals and estimation of the rate of undetected cases.
Elite professional football players and staff are a unique group that might give insight into the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Germany and thus can serve as a model for geographical distribution and an estimation of undetected infections. ⋯ Seroprevalence with a high-quality diagnostic in Germany seemed to be around 2%. The number of undetected infections seems to be eight to ten times higher than in notification data. The quality of antibody assays is rather variable, thus results should ideally be confirmed at least by a second assay to prove IgG positivity.
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Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a lower respiratory tract infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This disease can impact the cardiovascular system and lead to abnormal electrocardiographic (ECG) findings. Emergency clinicians must be aware of the ECG manifestations of COVID-19. ⋯ This review summarizes the relevant ECG findings associated with COVID-19. Knowledge of these findings in COVID-19-related electrocardiographic presentations may assist emergency clinicians in the evaluation and management of potentially infected and infected patients.
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Mar 2021
Tracheotomy in a High-Volume Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluating the Surgeon's Risk.
Performing tracheotomy in patients with COVID-19 carries a risk of transmission to the surgical team due to potential viral particle aerosolization. Few studies have reported transmission rates to tracheotomy surgeons. We describe our safety practices and the transmission rate to our surgical team after performing tracheotomy on patients with COVID-19 during the peak of the pandemic at a US epicenter. ⋯ Tracheotomy for patients with COVID-19 can be done with minimal risk to the surgical providers when standard personal protective equipment is used (surgical gown, gloves, eye protection, hair cap, and N95 mask). Whether timing of tracheotomy following onset of symptoms affects the risk of transmission needs further study.